REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Public Art Project: Fire Station 40 

Budget: Approximately $230,000.00 USD

Eligibility: Artists or Artist Teams residing in the United States

DEADLINE: Monday, January 20, 2025, 11:59 P.M. MST

Introduction

Denver Public Art seeks to commission an artist or artist team to create original public artwork(s) for Fire Station 40 in Denver. An 11-member selection panel of community representatives, arts and design professionals, and civic leaders has been assembled to identify art opportunities and to select and recommend an artist or artist team for this project. The selection panel has identified a location for potential artworks for the allocated total budget of approximately USD $230,000.00.

Denver Public Art will host a virtual pre-application meeting on Wednesday, January 15, 5:30-6:30 p.m. for interested applicants. The meeting will cover project background and goals, and the application process for this Request for Qualification (RFQ). Attendees will also get information on CallForEntry.org, through which artists may apply. This event will be hosted on Zoom. Interested applicants are asked to register to get information on how to join prior to the event. If you cannot attend, a recording will be available on the Denver Arts & Venues Vimeo channel.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land Denver's Public Art Collection occupies - - land where we stand, live, work and learn -- is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. Our nation was founded upon and continues to enact exclusions and erasures of Indigenous Peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to dismantling ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities as we intentionally honor and celebrate the Indigenous communities in our city and express our gratitude for their ongoing and significant contributions. Let's not forget that this land was theirs long before we made it ours.

About Fire Station 40

Fire Station 40 will be located at the northwest corner of Telluride and 56th Avenue in Council District 11. The main purpose of this new station is to provide support to growing neighborhoods around Denver International Airport. The new station is designed to accommodate eight firefighters and two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), and includes features aimed at supporting the important work of our first responders. In addition to sleeping quarters, the new building will have office space, a fitness room, a kitchen, a private courtyard, decontamination rooms, and a hose tower. This project is supported by Elevate Denver, a voter-approved bond program that aims to improve or build city infrastructure, including fire stations.

About the Denver Fire Department

Established in 1866, the Denver Fire Department provides services to the citizens who live in, work in and visit the City and County of Denver. Denver Fire Department provides all hazard responses and emergency medical services, fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, water and high angle rescue. The Department has over 1,000 paid professional firefighters supporting daily fire/rescue and medical operations. The Department also employs 42 civilian staff supporting all Divisions. There are 39 fully staffed firehouses responding to fire and emergency calls within the city. The Department also has five staffed firehouses providing services at Denver International Airport. 

To learn more about the rich history of Denver’s firefighting community, applicants are encouraged to visit the Denver Firefighters Museum.

About the Montbello & Green Valley Ranch Neighborhood

The Montbello and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods, located directly south and southwest of the project area, have undergone significant transformation over the past century with the arrival of the nearby Rocky Mountain Arsenal and the Denver International Airport. What was once open prairie evolved into mixed-use neighborhoods. Montbello initially supported affordable housing for middle-class and military families during World War II, while Green Valley Ranch began development some decades later. Today, Montbello and Green Valley Ranch stand as some of Denver's largest and most populous neighborhoods, known for their racial diversity and youthful populations.

While these neighborhoods have a rich history, it's important to recognize that the residents of the area, a predominantly Latino/x and Black community, have also had to fight for neighborhood improvements, especially for equitable access to services and resources that have historically been neglected. The people of the area have collectively championed for better access to affordable housing, quality schools, infrastructure development and healthy food options. Through their efforts, the neighborhoods now have more schools, parks, and improved recreation centers.  

Goals, Site, Media & Materials

The selection panel members have set forth specific goals and parameters for this public art project with the hope of creating unique and inspiring works of art for the diverse communities that will interact with Fire Station 40.

Goals:

• Artworks should ask the question “What does the next generation of firefighters look like?”
• Artwork should invite imagination and wonder to connect to neighborhood youth.
• Artwork should be colorful and have a nighttime presence.
• Artworks should be a connecting point between first responders and the community.
• The panel welcomes artists to apply who have lived experience with firefighting or have worked meaningfully with fire communities and their families.
• The panel also strongly encourages artists who have a connection to the Montbello and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods to apply.

Artwork Site

The panel has identified two potential sites for public art at the entrance of the station along 56th Avenue. It is critical that artwork support motorist safety. All sites will require the selected artist or artist teams to coordinate and communicate closely with the Design Team. Selected finalists will have the opportunity to meet with the art selection panel, Denver Public Art staff, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) staff, OZ Architecture, and Denver Fire Department members to ask specific questions about the preferred sites.

Media & Materials:

Artworks could be created using diverse media, including, but not limited to sculptural artworks. The selection panel is especially interested in lighting the artworks at night so that it can be seen by those travelling along 56th Avenue or nearby A Line train. Durability and ease of maintenance are important at these locations. The selection panel is open to artwork in media and materials suitable for outdoor display.

Maintenance, Durability & Accessibility

This artwork will become a permanent addition to the Denver Public Art collection. All applicants must consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, along with time and budget. These projects are in the public realm and will be exposed to physical stresses as well as being subject to vandalism. Public art projects should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials. Finalists are encouraged to consult with a professional conservator prior to the submission of a final proposal. Awarded contracts will be reviewed by the City of Denver's Public Art Committee to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. All finalists are expected to stay on budget and to complete work in an approved timeframe.

Budget

The budget for this commission is $230,000.00 USD which will be allocated to the artist/team selected. These funds come from the City of Denver’s 1 percent for Public Art Ordinance resulting from the Denver Botanic Gardens renovation project. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the art project including, but not limited to: the artist’s design fee, other consultation fees such as structural engineering consultation, insurance (including Colorado Workers Compensation), tools, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, any building or site modification required, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses and any other associated costs. For all work done on city property, prevailing wage requirements will be applied.

Timeline

(Except for the online application deadline, the timeline is subject to adjustments)

January 20, 2025, 11:59 P.M. MST              Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)  

February 2025                                             Finalist Selection  

March 2025                                                 Artist Selection and Notification 

Finalists must be available to attend two meetings, a community meeting with representatives from the selection panel and a technical meeting with representatives from the Denver Public Art Program and the Design Team. 

Project Selection Panel

According to Denver’s Public Art policy, the project selection panel plays an active role in the acquisition of public art for the City and County of Denver. The Fire Station 40 art selection panel is comprised of 10 voting members and additional non-voting advisors. The selection panel is responsible for reviewing the site, establishing criteria for a request for qualifications, reviewing applications, selecting and interviewing finalists, and finally for selecting an artist or artist team for the commission. 

Selection Process

1. Three to five artists/artist teams will be selected as finalists. Those selected will receive specific information regarding the sites and have the opportunity to meet with community members from the art selection panel, Denver Public Art Program staff, and the Denver Fire Department (DFD). The finalists will receive an honorarium to prepare a proposal and present it in person or virtually.
2. The selection panel will review the proposals, interview the finalists, and recommend an artist/artist team for the commission.
3. The final recommendation of the selection panel will be presented to the Public Art Committee, the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs, and the mayor of Denver for final approval.

*All decisions of the City and County of Denver are final.

Please direct all questions about the project to:

Meg Pursell, Public Art Program Administrator, meg.pursell@denvergov.org, 720-865-5576.

Application Requirements

Applying for these opportunities

In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit the following items via www.CallForEntry.org (CaFÉ™).

1. Six to eight digital images of past work
2. Résumé
3. Statement of interest (no longer than 2,000 characters)

From these applications, the selection panel will choose three to five finalists who will be invited to create site-specific proposals and be interviewed in person or virtually. Artists will be paid an honorarium for this work. Artists/teams selected as finalists will be required to submit a Diversity & Inclusiveness Form for their proposals to be considered, which will be provided upon notification. As directed by Executive Order 101, this form must be submitted for all city solicitations of proposals. Denver Public Art staff can guide you in filling out this form. The selected artist or artist team will work with the Denver Public Art Program staff and Denver Botanic Gardens staff when finalizing their designs for installation.

Materials to be Submitted

Please read this section carefully. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. The applicant's name must appear on all materials submitted.

All materials must be submitted online, via the CaFÉ™ website (www.CallForEntry.org). There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system.

Digital Images

To be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit six to eight digital images of previously completed artworks through the online CaFÉ™ system. Artists who wish to submit kinetic, sound or media works must submit a complete CaFÉ™ application and will have the opportunity to upload one video file.

IMPORTANT: If submitting audio or video files, do not use them as your very first image. They must be submitted last in your image sequence.

Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at https://www.callforentry.org/uploading-images-audio-and-video-files/. Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available here: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/.

If an artist does not have access to a computer, s/he/they may call (720) 515-5768 to make arrangements to use a computer at Denver Arts & Venues. 

To request this RFQ in an alternate format (such as Braille, large print, or accessible electronic format) please contact DisabilityAccess@denvergov.org.

Statement of Interest

Please submit a statement (2,000 characters maximum) outlining the following:

• Your interest in the Fire Station 40 project
• Your relationship to or experience with the firefighting community
• Your design approach to this project
• Please also include information on your experience working with diverse communities and stakeholders

Résumé 

Submit a one to two-page current résumé via CaFÉ™ that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. Please name your résumé file accordingly: Last name. First initial (i.e. Smith.J.pdf). Résumés that are more than two pages will not be downloaded. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé with no more than one page per team member. 

Survey

Applicants will also be required to fill out a short demographic survey that will be part of the CaFÉ™ application.

References

Applicants who are selected to be finalists will be required to provide three professional references.

Eligibility Criteria

Who May Apply

This project is open to artists residing in the United States. Denver Arts & Venues is committed to building a public art collection that represents a broad diversity of artists and encourages applicants from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities, including artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latino/x, People of Color (BILPOC), people with disabilities, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersexual, asexual, Two-Spirit+ (LGBTQIA2S+) communities. Denver Arts & Venues also encourages applicants at various stages in their careers and applicants that practice a variety of artistic disciplines.

Can a team apply?

Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé for the team with no more than one page per team member.

To request this RFQ in an alternate format (such as Braille, large print or accessible electronic format) please contact DisabilityAccess@denvergov.org.

Denver Arts & Venues complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, gender or language. It is your right to request oral or written language assistance services in your primary language, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART or disability-related accommodations if needed. Please contact Denver Arts & Venues at DAVLanguageAccess@denvergov.org and these services will be provided to you free of charge.

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